This is an open label interventional study using an implantable vagus nerve stimulation device in patients with Crohn's disease who have active disease despite treatment with a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist drug.
This will be an open-label, multicenter study of the safety, biological activity and clinical outcomes of an active implantable VNS device in patients with active refractory CD. Patients will sign informed consent prior to screening and will undergo all screening and baseline assessment procedures including endoscopy and endoscopic biopsy prior to planned VNS implantation date. Those who meet all of the inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria will be considered enrolled and will be implanted. After a minimum of 14 days following the implantation, patients will have their first in-clinic visit (Week 0 Visit), during which they will begin self-delivered once-daily stimulation using the VNS device. Patients will return for weekly visits between Weeks 1-4, at which time outcomes and safety assessments will be taken. At each visit between weeks 1 and 4, an attempt will be made to increase the output current to the maximum level tolerated. At the Week 4 Visit, another attempt to increase the output current will be made and the daily stimulation time will in addition be incremented by 60 seconds to 2 minutes total. At the Week 6 Visit safety and outcomes assessments will be taken and another attempt to increase the output current will be made, and the daily stimulation time will in addition be incremented to 5 minutes total. Patients will return at Week 8, at which time safety and outcomes assessments will be taken. If the patient has not achieved a clinical remission by CDAI, the frequency of stimulations will increase from once daily to 4 times daily. At Week 12, the patient will return for safety and outcomes assessments. The final study visit will be at the Week 16 Visit, at which time patients will have final primary endpoint safety and outcomes assessments, including a follow-up endoscopy with endoscopic biopsy. If patients terminate the study prior to week 16, every effort will be made to perform all Week 16 Visit procedures during an Early Termination Visit. Patients who complete the study will have the option to enroll in a long-term extension study. If they do not wish to participate in the extension study they can opt to either have their device permanently inactivated and left in place or have the device surgically explanted.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
15
Cyberonics VNS System
Clinical Hospital Dubrava
Zagreb, Croatia
Humanitas Research Hospital
Milan, Italy
Academic Medical Center
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Karolinska University Hospital, Solna
Stockholm, Sweden
Crohn's Disease Activity Index
Time frame: Week 16
Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's Disease (SES-CD)
Time frame: Week 16
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ)
Time frame: Week 16
Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Time frame: Week 16
Changes in Whole Blood Lipopolysaccharide-Induced TNF Release Assay
Time frame: Week 16
Serum Inflammation Mediators using Meso Scale Discovery Inflammation Multiplex Assay
Change in level of each mediator from baseline to Week 16
Time frame: Week 16
Adverse Events
Time frame: Week 16
Device Deficiencies meeting the event definition from EN ISO 14155:2011
Number of events occurring between first use of the device and Week 16 Visit
Time frame: Week 16
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